Chapter 4. Thrown Out of His Life

She made her voice happy, "No, mom. It's just that returning here brought back those restless nights." 

"Ignore what occurred here. There is no other way to proceed. Rafa, may God prosper your endeavor." 

"Mommy, thank you." She darted subtly at her back when she felt a soft movement and found Alexus standing with his eyes on them. She cleared her throat, "I appreciate you giving me this chance, Alexus."

Rafaella looked at the man after her mother said something. She was worried Alexus had overheard what she had said—observing the shape of his grin subtly as he approached her mother. Did he hear what I said? She pondered.

"Thank you for having the time with my mom," she said firmly as Alexus walked to the front door together. "I'm sorry to say this, but I can't ignore what you've said after seeing my mother. I agree that she's okay to be here for now. Don't worry; I will continue to send Mrs. Woods what I can spare." 

"And you think your mom's simply thinking about money?" He said in a sarcastic tone.

She believed he punched her at that. "Please. That's all I can ask you. Give me some time to be stable before she can join me."

Alexus said, "I considered her my mother even before I married you, and it became formal after that." "Believe me; I appreciate it," her voice insisted. "Thank you for everything, Alexus…." 

His mouth parted in a smile. "Finally, I heard you call my name. Not tough at all, right?" He was mocking her.

She swallowed and smiled. "By the way, I thought we could go to Las Vegas and close the deal after you talk to the lawyer. Doesn't it take a two weeks process? "Why the hurry? You walked out, looking rushed. Why?" His cheekbone was fragile now. 

"I just need that divorce form as soon as possible," she replied jokingly.

"I questioned you over your haste after losing a loved one. You can't be with another one, can you?" 

"I want to remind you that the presence of a new individual is not of concern to you. Our union was a lie from the start, to begin with."

His attention was focused on her, and she was unsure whether or not she liked what she saw. A furious shadow covered his ocean-blue eyes.

"Who is the helpless guy you've saved for this occasion?" 

She threw up her chin and strained as he brought his hand to her waist. Her mouth was not far from his. 

"You are hiding something from me, and I can smell it, Rafaella. Does this new one deserves your love or not?"

His breath was warm and faintly flavored with wine. Her ears picked up the echoes of her heartbeat as her lips began to dry up. She stepped away from him, hoping her legs would be enough to sustain her.

She firmly said, "I have no idea what you're referring to. Think the worst of me if it makes you happy. As usual, you don't believe anything I say."

"I still wait for your honesty. Be at ease. I'm not going to stop you. And relax. You'll understand." His lips instantly shut.

She smirked, "You want my honesty. When I return to my hotel room, I look forward to a happy, loving hug from my dear someone. How's that for telling the truth?" 

He regarded her with an emotion-controlled gaze. "You're such a liar," he snarled with scorn.

She replied with a lovely smile and said, "Alexus, thank you. I'm expecting you to say that. I could say that you haven't changed after all these years." 

"You can't expect me to accept anything you claim as if your action is normal. I'm amazed that you are quite different from the women demanding a divorce. He must be affluent because you aren't chasing anything due to even the alimony part."

"The situation is fine and has nothing to do with financial issues. He is a wonderful person who has given me real happiness. He is nice, smart, and attentive, and he loves me. In other words, he represents everything that you are not."

"And he loves you too," he added sarcastically. 

"Yes. I adore his adorable sister as well."

"You seemed to enjoy swiftly establishing a nice family. And since he cares about you so much, did he permit you to come here and approach me alone?"

"He knows who you are and knows he can trust me."

A chill ran down her spine as he took her hand. She could see the sensation of a breeze as it altered the charmer's pipe's seductive song. She was still, unable to shift her eyes. 

"He wanted to go with me." Her dry lips made it difficult for her to talk. "I won't allow him as it's not the right moment to accompany me."

"If I were in his shoes, you couldn't have stopped me," he said. "Do you love him that much?" 

"Of course, I do. My favorite quality in him as he felt the same way," She replied kindly and then changed the subject. "You're going to Las Vegas tomorrow, right?"

He snorted, "Certainly, you won't think I'm pining for you; it seems that way. Tomorrow, I'll get the specifics."

She beamed. "Then everything settled then. I trust you can make the process speedy. I have to go now. I've already been gone longer than I expected. I'll call you tomorrow during lunch if that's okay." 

"There's no need to be in a hurry. I can drive you back to your hotel."

She seemed to stumble for a little moment. "I think it would be much better to take a cab. Please let me use your phone."

"That is not necessary if you insist on leaving right now." He moved to an intercom and pushed a button while observing, his gaze soaking up the feminine features exposed by her ribcage-baring white blouse as she placed her shoes back on and swung her purse strap over her shoulder. 

"Tim? Bring the car to the front spot. A woman in a white shirt will show up shortly. Take her wherever she needs to go."

Rafaella smiled at him before walking to the door.

He started to feel heavy and depressed in his chest. She left his life once more—this time straight into the arms of another man—five years after he had been denied the chance to say goodbye. It wasn't a pleasant visit that brought him back to the pain of yesterday.

He had vowed to put his wife's affair in the past, but when he saw her again, the pain quickly returned. She said, "Alexus, I appreciate everything, especially which concerned my mom.

"As I've said, she's like a real mother to me. There's nothing to be skeptical about having here with me. I want to ensure that she is safe from any attack of what happened then.

She beamed and straightened up. "So, I suppose that's everything for now." 

He bowed with a blank facade. "Take care of yourself, Rafaella."

Alexus pondered whether he believed she was in his home as he glanced at the closed door. He removed his tie from his neck and walked directly to the wine bar.

Rafaella's reappearance in his life after all these years astounded him. He had believed that she would be lost from his life forever. He made a valiant effort to persuade himself that he no longer cared or valued her. Despite his little success, he continued to work diligently in between rounds of court appearances and physical rehabilitation. He didn't think about her for a whole week, wondering what she was doing or if she was connected to someone. He was relieved that his uncertainty was over. He poured scotch on the crystal glass while his hand was somewhat trembling. As he turned around and started back down the corridor, the limp he was trying to cover became more noticeable, and the agony in his thigh flared up. He needed to relax in the whirlpool for a while.

As he was walking past his office, the phone rang. He turned to the door and knelt in a chair before taking up the phone. 

"Latimer."

"I heard you have company tonight." Before responding to his sister, Alexus took a sip of scotch while leaning back and closing his eyes. 

"I see. Sandy called you right away," He said. He could not hide the sarcasm from his voice. Women spread gossip like a fire.

"Why not. On her birthday, you left her alone and did not even bother telling her not to wait for you. You shouldn't treat your girlfriend that way."

"Stop talking nonsense, Marla. She is aware of my surprise visitor. Be less theatrical."

"Sandy comes from a stellar family. Good contacts and a decent family. Her behavior might improve if you treat her with the respect she deserves."

"What happened to your prior decisions? You used to be siding Rafa."